DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement filed 8/21/24 fails to comply with 37 CFR 1.98(a)(3)(i) because it does not include a concise explanation of the relevance, as it is presently understood by the individual designated in 37 CFR 1.56(c) most knowledgeable about the content of the information, of each reference listed that is not in the English language. It has been placed in the application file, but the information referred to therein has not been considered.
The NPL document is not in English.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 7-8 and 11-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 7 recites the limitation "the guide element". There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 11 recites the limitation "the bottom of the housing". There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. For examination purposes the claim is assumed to recite, “a bottom of the housing”.
Claim 12 recites the limitation "the suction pipe". There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. For examination purposes claim 12 is assumed to depend from claim 11.
Claim 8 is rejected as depending from claim 7.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-5, 7-8 and 11-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by McGregor et al. US 2005/0081559.
Claim 1, McGregor teaches a refrigerant accumulator comprising: a housing (22) with an inlet opening (32) and an outlet opening (34), wherein a device (40) is arranged in the housing, wherein the device is allocated to the inlet opening and the outlet opening (fig. 1a).
Claims 2-5, 7-8 and 11-15, McGregor further teaches the device has a guide element (42) for influencing the flow of refrigerant flowing into the housing via the inlet opening (fig. 1a); the guide element has a channel (around the edge) that is curved in sections (fig. 1a); the housing is closed by a cover (24), the inlet and outlet openings are introduced in the cover (fig. 1a); the device is held on the cover in a form fitting manner (fig. 1a); the device is fixed to the cover via a snap on connection (at 52) (fig. 1a, d); a securing means (55) allocated to the snap on connection (fig. 1f); the outlet opening is allocated to a suction pipe (60) which extends from the cover to a bottom of the housing (fig. 1); the device has an outlet channel which opens into the outlet opening, wherein the suction pipe is in flow communication with the outlet channel (fig. 1a); the outlet channel has a cross sectional constriction (46) (fig. 1); the suction pipe opens into the outlet channel of the device in the region of the cross sectional constriction (fig. 1); and the outlet channel is fixed in the outlet opening in a form fitting manner (fig. 1).
Claim(s) 1-6, 9-12 and 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Billa et al. US 2025/0012495.
Claim 1, Billa teaches a refrigerant accumulator comprising: a housing (18) with an inlet and outlet opening (11, 12), a device (28) is arranged in the housing, the device is allocated to the inlet opening and the outlet opening (fig. 2).
Claims 2-6, 9-12 and 15, Billa further teaches the device has a guide element (29) for influencing the flow of refrigerant flowing into the housing via the inlet opening (fig. 2); the guide element has a channel (between 29’) that is curved in sections (fig. 2); the housing is closed by a cover (10), the inlet and outlet openings are introduced in the cover (fig. 2); the device is held on the cover in a form fitting manner (fig. 2); the guide element is held in the inlet opening in a form fitting manner (fig. 2); the device is equipped with a holding device (at 38) that holds a desiccant container (38) in the housing (fig. 2); the outlet opening is allocated to a suction pipe (13) which extends from the cover to a bottom of the housing (fig. 2); the device has an outlet channel which opens into the outlet opening, wherein the suction pipe is in flow communication with the outlet channel (fig. 2); and the outlet channel is fixed in the outlet opening in a form fitting manner (fig. 2).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 4,651,540 Morse
US 5,746,065 Patel et al.
US 6,418,751 Telesz et al.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BENJAMIN M KURTZ whose telephone number is (571)272-8211. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:30-5.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Bobby Ramdhanie can be reached at 571-270-3240. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/BENJAMIN M KURTZ/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1779
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